Episode 16: Adding Insult
to Injury

Traffic was at a total standstill. Cars, vans, buses and trams stood in the road, abandoned by their owners and the travellers within, and for good reason.

The early January afternoon had been like any other. People getting back into the routine of going to work and coming home again, getting back into the new year swing of things after a long, extended break over Christmas and New Years away from their normal mundane lives. The drive or trip home should have taken on average half an hour at most.

Now, everything was changed. Cars had been crushed to pieces, parts of buildings had been destroyed, lamp posts and power lines were lying across the roads. All due to some massive creatures that catapulted around the roads, and were flung from one place to another.

Bambusmon squatted on the edge of a double decker bus, getting a good view of the battle taking place beneath her, carefully watching and judging the attacks and his movements. Looking for a way in, timing the perfect moment to attack.

Below on the tarmac of the road, Skadimon and Vespasmon were taking the brunt of the attacks from the ultimate level Digimon. While above, Valramon was swooping and diving, acting as a distraction, attacking when she could.

“Shadow Claw!” The Digimon that the four of them faced together launched himself off the side of a building, arms extending, hands clenched into fists, acting as a missile heading straight for Vespasmon. BlackWereGarurumon had appeared without warning like all the Digimon they faced now. No electronics malfunctioned, to signify a Digimon coming through. It seemed as soon as he had appeared he had started a rampage, attacking cars, buses and buildings causing immense damage in a matter of hours.

Bambusmon saw her chance and leapt off the bus. “Foliage Domination!” Vines lashed forth from her open clawed hand, wrapping around the wolf man Digimon’s neck and arms. Bambusmon landed carefully and braced herself. BlackWereGarurumon howled as he was yanked suddenly from his course. Bambusmon released him in time as he was thrown into the side of a bank, creating a massive crater in the side of the wall.

“Yeah! You the Digimon!” Keeping their distance, Tom, Eva, Reyez and Piper were all keeping close together, watching the battle.

BlackWereGarurumon was downed for a few seconds. He shook himself free from the concrete, getting to his massive feet. Growling loudly, foaming at the mouth, claws unsheathed he bounded forward again, rushing a few long steps off the ground and launching into the air.

Valramon’s body was encased in a black smoke, “Night Strike!” The black form swooped at an alarming speed from a height, diving perpendicularly downwards. Perfectly aimed, she hit BlackWereGarurumon on the back with a harsh ‘thump’ sound. He lost momentum and began to fall.

“Hungering Cold!” Skadimon pounced from the air, sinking ice encased teeth into the enemy Digimon’s leg. Vespasmon did the same, leaping from the ground and biting onto the other Digimon’s arm. With their combined weight they brought BlackWereGarurumon down to the ground. Vespasmon sank his claws into the black Digimon’s flesh; Skadimon tore at his leg muscles.

Beneath them, BlackWereGarurumon struggled and wrestled with them. Though pinned, he was able to gather enough power in his leg muscles to kick Skadimon off with a well aimed punt in the face. Skadimon recoiled. His legs now free, BlackWereGarurumon used his free arm to grab Vespasmon’s mane, yanking him off him. Vespasmon’s teeth ripped through his skin and BlackWereGarurumon released a pained roar before tossing the large otter Digimon to one side as if he was a doll.

“Keep at it! I think he’s tiring!” Eva shouted from the side lines.

Her voice caught BlackWereGarurumon’s attention and he snarled, baring his fangs fiercely. She was alone. Tom was a few feet away. Reyez and Piper had scattered to avoid being smashed by Vespasmon’s landing.

The muscles in the were-Digimon’s legs bunched as he crouched for a moment, judging the distance between himself and the unaware Eva. Twenty feet at most. His jaws snapped together, he launched himself from the ground, using long bounds and strides to cover the distance in moments.

“Garuru Kick!” He bellowed and somersaulted so he was now speeding at Eva feet first.

Eva screamed and dived out of the way with seconds to spare. BlackWereGarurumon crashed into a car behind her, practically slicing its roof off. Metal scraps flew everywhere like a fountain. Eva covered her head. On his feet, BlackWereGarurumon tore the car roof from its hinges throwing it with a frustrated roar at Eva’s hunched over form.

She screamed again, covering her head.

“Eva!!” Tom yelled from where he had ducked out of the way of the raging Digimon.

Skadimon was thundering across the ground, leaping on car roofs, crushing them under his weight. His front paws were encased in ice. “Frozen Grip!” He roared, launching his paws forward, throwing out claw shaped ice bolts. BlackWereGarurumon crossed his arms in front of him, waiting for the ice claws to get close enough before he threw his arms open again, shattering the shapes and sending shards shooting out over a large distance.

Bambusmon jumped from a precariously leaning lamp post. “Great Cannon!” Razor sharp leaves flew from her claw hand, swirling around a beam of energy that aimed perfectly into BlackWereGarurumon’s chest. The impact threw him back. As he recovered from the impact, she leaped over cars towards him, jumping onto Vespasmon’s back as he charged through the parked vehicles knocking them to the side, “Foliage Domination!” Vines dashed forth, wrapping around the neck, body and legs of BlackWereGarurumon, petrifying him in place.

Vespasmon threw his body and weight behind him, crashing into BlackWereGarurumon, biting down with his jaws onto his shoulder. Bambusmon hopped to the ground seconds before impact. Vespasmon growled, arching his head back and lifting the other Digimon from the ground, shaking him like a rag doll and tossing him to the side through the side of a bus.

BlackWereGarurumon was downed for the moment.

“Valramon!” Tom yelled.

The giant raven dove down from her height to a few feet off the ground, gliding easily over the cars and the street. Her wings closed around her body, “Duskbane!” Upon opening them a cloud of ravens flashed forth and surrounded the downed Digimon, ducking and diving around his head as BlackWereGarurumon struggled to his feet.

He swiped wildly at the ravens taunting and cawing around his head.

“Give him a second.” Reyez murmured. Ever the face of unflappability, he looked calm and collected, his hands in his pockets. He was staring intently at the were-Digimon who continued to growl and whine, attacking the murder of ravens with wild swipes of his arms.

BlackWereGarurumon whined like an injured puppy, frightened by the ravens and the whispers only he could hear from them. The ravens burst around his head in a cloud of black. BlackWereGarurumon howled in anguish and dashed away from them, belting across the tarmac on all four paws.

Eva pulled herself out from beneath the discarded roof of the car, heaving herself to her feet. Her left arm ached, and spasmed painfully when she moved her fingers. She had landed on it badly and she was bleeding from somewhere. She was able to look up in time to see BlackWereGarurumon running at her blindly. His eyes wild with panic and terror. She screamed.

“Tom! Tom!! HELP ME!!” She was rooted to the stop, her legs suddenly felt like concrete; like she was paralyzed and could not will herself to move.

“Valramon!” Tom yelled.

The raven Digimon flapped her wings wildly, throwing her body behind them. Tom grabbed a wing as she flew over head and clambered on to her back. He lay close to her back. They were level with BlackWereGarurumon now.

From out of nowhere, vines wrapped around BlackWereGarurumon’s neck. Bambusmon grabbed a mail box to brace herself. BlackWereGarurumon was in too much of a panic to be held and ripped through the vines with pure strength. Bambusmon screeched as the vines retracted to her hand.

The distraction had been enough to give Valramon a few feet ahead of BlackWereGarurumon. Tom reached down passed her body. Valramon was barely two metres from the ground. Eva was still in one place, she hadn’t moved. Her eyes were wide open, terrified of the bounding Digimon coming towards her.

“EVA! HAND!” Tom yelled.

She snapped from her paralyzed state and jerked her right arm into the air. Tom’s hand connected with hers and clasped around her wrist. Valramon made an uneasy movement and was suddenly flying straight up in a vertical line for meters. Eva dangled uneasily from Tom’s hand.

“I can’t hold on!”

“Hang on!”

Eva’s hand slipped. She screamed.

“HOLD ON!!” He lost grip. “EVA!”

Eva was screaming at the top of her lungs as air circulated around her, sending her clothes and hair billowing around her. She couldn’t see the ground. Valramon squawked and grappled with her claws. They clasped around the top of Eva’s left arm, holding tight, preventing her from falling any further. Tom expelled a breath of relief.

Below, Vespasmon had landed on BlackWereGarurumon’s back, and was clawing his flesh. Playing with him like a fish

Valramon descended and placed Eva gently on the ground, hovering as Tom climbed down off her back. She took off again; joining the other Digimon to bring an end to the fight. Tom grabbed Eva’s hand a dragged her to one side, hiding between two buildings.

“When a Digimon charges you – you run!” Tom explained.

Eva had tears in the corners of her eyes. “Skadimon.” She blurted, trembling violently. “He didn’t do anything! He didn’t do anything!! I was about to die and he wasn’t there!”

“Easy.” Tom murmured, “He was-“

“You were there!” Eva was in tears now.

Piper ran passed the gap between the buildings they were hiding in. “Skadimon! STOP IT!”

Eva and Tom followed her. Skadimon was pinning BlackWereGarurumon, who had Bambusmon beneath him. He was tearing at her hair and the leaves that decorated her face. He had already yanked off one of the gold earrings she wore.

“ENOUGH!!” Reyez yelled, dropping his blasé attitude. Bambusmon was writhing and struggling, unable to move as BlackWereGarurumon’s claws were embedded in her skin, bringing blood to the surface. One hand was digging into the back of Bambusmon’s neck, pressing down immense pressure on her spine.

“Hungering Cold!” Skadimon snarled; digging his ice encased teeth into BlackWereGarurumon’s skull. The were-Digimon howled in pain. Skadimon yanked him off Bambusmon and threw him to one side. He did not let up, pursuing the other Digimon.

“STOP! Stop!!” Eva screamed.

Skadimon ignored her. BlackWereGarurumon got to his feet, snarling, blood staining his face and fur all over his body. Skin hung from where he had been clawed and bitten, and his blood dripped to the ground, staining the tarmac, making small puddles. Skadimon charged.

BlackWereGarurumon bunched his muscles, throwing all his energy behind his attack. “Engetsugeri!” He yelled. He kicked in a circle, created a silver shape that thrashed into Skadimon. The impact drove him back and threw him to his back, crashing through a trio of cars.

“STOP! JUST STOP!” Eva screamed at Skadimon, running towards the large snow leopard. “Why can’t you be like the others and just protect me!!” Skadimon shook his head and got to his feet. “Tom saved me! Where were you!?!”

The Digimon didn’t answer.

Vespasmon roared from a short distance away, he launched himself at BlackWereGarurumon, knocking the ultimate Digimon back.

“You’re so stupid! YOU INJURED BAMBUSMON!!” Eva yelled, “We’re on the same team!! Stop SCREWING UP!!”

Skadimon snarled, baring his teeth at Eva. His body rippled up and down, his coat standing on end and the icicles on his mane began to shatter. He was engulfed in a bright pink light, which echoed from Eva’s D-Touch. Tom grabbed her good shoulder and dragged her away from the transforming Digimon.

“Skadimon, Proxy Evolve...”

Something was different though. Where Hurakamon had evolved to Byakkomon it had been an easy transition. Skadimon’s face, though, was marred with an agonizing pain, and he roared as the changes occurred. His legs lengthened, pushing through his fur, ripping it to shreds so it seemed only to cover his body like a blanket. His muscles disintegrated from his form, exposed a bleached bone structure. His claws tore from his fur as icicles, the spiked metal bands clattered back into place. Spikes of ice erupted from the exposed bone joints and from his shoulder blades. His eyes sank into their eye sockets where his once furry face was replaced with a massive skull and canine teeth the length of a human leg.

“SkullSkadimon...” his voice was no longer a bellow, more a hiss and a roar.

Again Eva felt rooted to the spot. SkullSkadimon stared down at her, snarling.

“Fuck.” Reyez murmured, his cigarette dropped from his lips. The Digimon were all distracted by the enormous skeletal Digimon that crushed cars under each of his paws.

“Wh...what...” Piper shook where she stood.

SkullSkadimon surveyed the other Digimon. Vespasmon was snarling, his fur bristling, while Bambusmon despite her injuries was poised to attack. Valramon could only hover above. BlackWereGarurumon howled, catching SkullSkadimon’s attention.

The were-Digimon launched himself forward, his arms extended. “Shadow Claw!” He yelled.

SkullSkadimon growled and swiped one giant ice claw at the black Digimon, throwing him to one side. BlackWereGarurumon crashed into the side of a building, breaking through the wall, causing the bricks to crumble around him. SkullSkadimon pursued at a determined walking pace, flattening everything his paws landed on. He smashed a front paw through the building, kicking down the wall, and bringing the roof in on top of his head, though he barely noticed this.

BlackWereGarurumon dug himself out of the rubble and snarled at the larger Digimon.

SkullSkadimon hissed. “Cryostasis...” he didn’t shout or roar as he blew from his mouth a freezing breath that encased BlackWereGarurumon and formed an ice block around him. SkullSkadimon lowered his head and examined the trapped Digimon. He opened his jaws.

“NO-!” Eva gasped.

In a smooth movement, SkullSkadimon’s jaws had snapped around the frozen Digimon, shattering the ice and the Digimon within into pieces.

BlackWereGarurumon now gone, SkullSkadimon turned to the other Digimon; he examined them all with beady pupils, each in turn, before they settled on Eva. He bent his head low to examine her more closely, expelling cold air with his breathing. Eva was trembling on the spot, terrified of the skeletal formation in front of her.

SkullSkadimon growled low and moved his head a margin closer. His open jaws were barely a foot away from Eva’s face now. She could see past his jagged teeth into his mouth. Another inch closer. That was too much. She screamed and shoved his face away, finally regaining feeling and running back a few steps. “GET AWAY!!”

A roared escaped SkullSkadimon’s throat and he turned away from her, starting to walk quickly away from her and the others. His paws crushed everything in his path.

It took seconds for SkullSkadimon to be out of sight, his legs and paws smashing buildings, though the noise of car horns was still audible. Eva crumbled to her knees. She was suddenly crying violently, doubled over.

-----------------------------

The television and radio stations were suddenly alive with news reports of a monster rampaging in the city. Advising people to stay in their houses and not to leave. People were not listening though. Crowds had descended onto the streets to catch a glimpse of the skeletal creature making its way through the city, destroying buildings with massive paws, and generating bones of ice that destroyed anything it could not step on.

Helicopters zoomed overhead of SkullSkadimon, news helicopters, but also two or three police copters that tried to distract the giant creature and take it away from where there were residences. The roads were blocked and lined with police cars, fire engines and other large vehicles to prevent SkullSkadimon from getting any further into the city.

At every blockade SkullSkadimon screeched and thrashed. Buildings crumbled under the force of his claws and his tail. He picked up police vans in his teeth and crushed them, then threw them back down to the street below.

It was miraculous that no one had been harmed. Yet. People were being stupidly bold, taking out video cameras and phone cameras to get videos of him.

Tom and Eva sat on Valramon’s back, following the path of destruction. Piper with Reyez on Vespasmon while Bambusmon followed on foot. They had been forced to wait for Eva to regain some sense in herself. She had cried for near on ten minutes, terrified of what her Digimon had become and shaking so violently any time she tried to get to her feet she couldn’t stand.

Valramon had flown ahead to keep an eye on SkullSkadimon, reporting back after several incidents.

“They’re not helping.” Piper murmured, eyeing the blockade created by the police. “It’s just going to make things worse.”

Valramon hovered in place over the blockade. Curiously, the police were making a space down the road, forcing people back. Valramon kept low enough to keep out of the way of the helicopters that continued to circle noisily. Tom was examining the situation carefully.

“There’s gotta be a way to turn him back.” He muttered. “If he gets any further into town he could kill someone.”

“No! No he wouldn’t. Irbimon wouldn’t.” Eva argued.

“This isn’t Irbimon... I don’t think it had any inkling of who or what it is, Eva.” Tom explained. Eva had been denying that all the damage they had witnessed was caused by anything that had evolved from her small snow leopard companion. She refused to acknowledge it.

“Hold on tight.” Valramon said, taking a sudden dive. Tom grabbed her feathers. “What was that about?” His question was answered by the deafening sound of a group of attack planes swooping above them, releasing trails of white smoke. “What are they?”

“Shit.” Tom murmured.

On the ground below, Reyez echoed the sentiment. He recognized the fighter jets from his time in the military. He grabbed his D-Touch and quickly dialled Tom. “Listen,” Reyez said urgently as Tom answered, “Those are Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning fighter jets. They are some serious fighter planes.”

“That’s a bit extreme.” Piper said.

“No. It’s not.” Reyez replied. “Tom listen, if those guys attack they will attack with missiles and will aim to destroy their target.”

“Yes.” Tom replied firmly, “The Digimon will do less damage than the air craft will.”

“But it’ll hurt him.” Eva whimpered.

Tom sighed, “We have to. It’s the only thing we can do.”

Eva shook her head but kept silent. Tom tapped Valramon’s head and she descended lower, flying above the crowd and the vehicles blocking SkullSkadimon’s way. Cameras turned upwards to catch Valramon as she flew above them. Vespasmon crashed through a parked car, knocking it into the back of SkullSkadimon’s leg in an effort to get his attention. All it did was irritate him and he kicked his foot back.

-----------------------------

At the head of the blockade, Gregory McTyre was speaking through the radio with the lead fighter pilot, Fred Hallum. He was surrounded by soldiers armed with automatic rifles, and police also armed with guns, tasers and some with riot shields.

“Echo, Sierra. Your position, over?” Gregory spoke through the radio directly to Fred. There was a crackling of static as he waited for a response.

One of the lower rank soldiers ran up, “Sir,” he saluted, “the situation has changed.” Gregory eyed him impatiently, “More creatures have appeared. With people.”

“So?”

“They do not wish us to attack the monster. They say they can handle it.”

“I am not holding fire.” Gregory argued.

“You have to!” Eva shoved passed the soldier speaking to Gregory. He stared at her shocked. Tom followed after her. “You can’t attack him!” He waved wildly at SkullSkadimon who was snapping at helicopters that came too close.

“Who are you?” Gregory asked, incredulous and surprised, “What are you talking about?!”

Above there was a deafening whistling sound of missiles being fired from the fighter jets; sending smoke into the air as the jets themselves ascended further into the sky after discharging. The missiles impacted in different places on SkullSkadimon’s body. On his back, legs and face, each exploded in a mushroom of red and grey smoke. SkullSkadimon screeched, and roared; his limbs flailing. He turned around in circles several times rapidly. He stepped on cars and trucks, knocking down street lights and buildings with his feet.

People were screaming, scattering as the huge Digimon flailed and howled indignantly from the impacts of the missiles against his body.

The smoke was clearing. SkullSkadimon’s eyes were wild with confusion and anguish. He roared and scraped his feet through the tarmac, slicing through the metal of several cars and trucks once more. He bolted, taking off at a lumbering run, smashing a fire engine under one foot, and the car from which Gregory McTyre was communicating with the aircraft under another.

Tom tugged Eva’s hand. Gregory McTyre was speaking frantically into the radio. Ordering the aircraft to turn back and fire again. SkullSkadimon bounded into the city in a frenzy, biting on anything that moved and firing icicle bones that he summoned in all directions, piercing whatever they landed on.

“Let’s go.” Tom said quickly. Eva nodded and they ran, Valramon was close by and they climbed up onto her back. Eva got Piper up on her D-Touch.

“They didn’t listen.” She explained quickly, “We’re going to need to get close and try to bring him down ourselves.”

“That’s a death wish!” Piper replied, her tone high pitched. “And I’m not comfortable attacking Irbimon.” She added uneasily.

On the other end Eva sighed. She put the D-Touch down to her side and stared off the side of Valramon, they were flying over SkullSkadimon now as he thrashed and threw a mailbox from his jaws into the side of a sky scraper, smashing windows. “Piper we have to. It’s not like I want to attack him... but... but... this is my fault.”

“Why?”

“It just... is.” Eva murmured, “I’d be happier if we didn’t have to hurt him at all. But given the choice between the Digimon and the fighter planes, I’ll take the Digimon. And I’m sure Irbimon would too.”

A long pause, Eva could hear the sound of Vespasmon’s paws landing on the ground as she ran. “Okay.” Piper answered finally. “If you’re sure.” She hung up.

Eva slotted her D-Touch into her pocket. Her arms wrapped around Tom’s waist. He squeezed one of her hands in an attempt to reassure her. “Okay Valramon, let’s go.”

Valramon ascended higher up into the air, keeping herself in line with SkullSkadimon. She turned in midair at speed and folded her wings back, beginning to dive. She was engulfed in blackness. Tom and Eva were blind for a moment.

“Nightstrike!” Valramon called. Still engulfed in the black cloud she impacted the side of SkullSkadimon’s head. He screeched and Valramon was quick to fly back out of reach.

“Bone Storm!” SkullSkadimon called, summoning up a group of jagged ice bones that hovered around him. They launched from their places, firing up and then falling like arrows launched from a bow.

“HOLD ON!” Valramon yelled as the bones of ice began to descend around her. She dodged and dove skillfully, trying to avoid them. Some clipped her bat wing, making tiny tears in the membrane; some sliced through Tom and Eva’s clothing causing rips. One sliced down the side of Tom’s face.

Vespasmon bounded forward from the ground, a sphere of water forming in his mouth. He jumped, “Typhoon Circle!” He bellowed. The sphere projected forward, swooping around SkullSkadimon’s head and engulfing his skull. It expanded and then contracted quickly on him. SkullSkadimon screeched as his vision became clear again. Vespasmon was following the sphere and launched at SkullSkadimon’s nose, using his bulk to knock him back somewhat. Piper clung to his mane as Vespasmon dug his claws into the bone and clung with his teeth to one of SkullSkadimon’s eye sockets.

SkullSkadimon shook his head violently and thrashed with his forepaws trying to throw Vespasmon off of him.

“Foliage Domination!” Bambusmon’s cry came from below and vines wrapped themselves around one of SkullSkadimon’s forepaws. Bambusmon bounded quickly, the vines extended and as she ran in circles, they wrapped around the other paw, locking the two front paws together.

SkullSkadimon cried and growled loudly. His feet were locked together and he crashed into the road, smashing a car underneath him.

Valramon descended again. “Duskbane!” A flock of ravens surrounded SkullSkadimon’s head cawing and distracting him. SkullSkadimon snapped with his jaws, and dug his back paws into the ground, creating craters where his claws scratched and pawed. Vespasmon leaped off his face and landed with a thump on the ground.

“Keep at it!” Piper ordered.

Vespasmon launched himself again. Bambusmon hopped onto his back and them up again. Valramon ducked enough for Bambusmon to jump onto her back and give her an additional boost. She turned in midair, a beam of energy generating in the middle of her hand. “GREAT CANNON!!” Bambusmon shouted. The energy exploded forth with razor leaves swirling about it and made a beeline for SkullSkadimon’s face.

“TYPHOON SPHERE!!” Vespasmon joined in, expelling a giant sphere of water from his mouth, aiming for the same spot as Bambusmon’s attack. They impacted together and exploded away from SkullSkadimon’s face with a loud crack.

SkullSkadimon hissed and screeched at the same time furiously. He pulled and yanked at the vine binds around his forepaws, frantically ripping and tearing at them with his teeth until they came apart with a loud snap. He swiped at Bambusmon as she descended from where she had attacked. She was caught by one of his massive paws and went careering through a window of a sky scrapper. She landed on a group of men who had been watching from the window.

“I am getting sick of this!” Bambusmon roared as she rose to her feet. “ENOUGH!!” She launched herself from the window.

“BONE STOOOOORM!!” SkullSkadimon roared. This time he roared for longer and more and more bone icicles appeared around him, like floating darts they twirled and swirled until SkullSkadimon launched them. They went in different directions, some straight into the ground, others into the air, but there were so many they were undodgeable. Vespasmon was sliced on the nose by one, and two impaled his shoulders. One smashed into the yellow orb on his tail as his tail was struck by one more. Another three on his haunches. He dodged to keep Piper safe, though she felt one icicle enter the skin of her right shoulder blade, and another impaled her thigh.

Reyez sheltered himself nearby, though the tin roof he stood under was no match for the speedy arrows of ice. They broke through the tin like a warm knife through butter. They crumbled and crashed to the floor around him. He felt one cut his arm, like a paper cut, and another ripped through the arm of his jacket. Bambusmon was dashing and running as quickly as she could to avoid them. Though as she moved even she was caught by the arrows, and had blood on her legs and arms from wounds she had sustained.

Valramon now had a brutal tear in one of her wings which bled fiercely. The tear still stayed together by some skin, though it still made flying a difficult task. She had other injuries from the darts too, that had gone through the muscled parts of her wings and of her body. Tom was bleeding, and one of his hands was completely covered in blood. Eva didn’t dare look up. She had pain running through her body from some open wounds too.

“Keep going.” Piper murmured urging Vespasmon as he limped on a front foot. He growled.

“PAIN GEYSER!!” Vespasmon roared; despite it being smashed, the orb still glowed a violent yellow and threw forth a stream of boiling water at SkullSkadimon’s face, temporarily blinding one eye. Bambusmon dashed beneath the massive skeletal beast and launched more vines from her hand.

“FOLIAGE DOMINATION!!!” Bambusmon yelled. The vine wrapped around the exposed Digicore of SkullSkadimon and the grip tightened. SkullSkadimon retched and tried to claw at Bambusmon with his back claws. Bambusmon nimbly jumped onto one claw and then onto SkullSkadimon’s back. He turned his head back and tried to snap at her with his jaws, wheezing as the vines grip tightened around his core.

“DUSKBANE!” Valramon swooped and followed the ravens she released as they swamped SkullSkadimon’s face. “NIGHT STRIKE!!” She joined with murder of ravens and smashed into SkullSkadimon’s neck. There was a terrible crack, and the ravens exploded.

Screeching echoed up from SkullSkadimon’s vocal chords.

Vespasmon launched, leaping on the roofs of cars to get closer. He jumped from one roof and bit down on one of the ribs of SkullSkadimon, clawing at them and reaching through to tear at his Digicore. SkullSkadimon snarled, snapped his head down and bit blindly at Vespasmon’s body that wriggled and flailed as he tried to keep a hold.

SkullSkadimon’s teeth clasped around the back end of Vespasmon, his teeth digging into the large otter’s haunches. Vespasmon growled in pain and Piper screamed. SkullSkadimon thrashed wildly with Vespasmon’s body, until he was limp and blood was draining into SkullSkadimon’s mouth. He threw him from his mouth into a building. Vespasmon laid still.

“Ohgodohgodohgod!” Eva was panting. “Vespasmon!!”

Bambusmon screamed indignantly, the vines had snapped again, and SkullSkadimon had her clawed hand in his mouth. She was dangling from his jaws, kicking her legs wildly. SkullSkadimon snarled and began to fling her around like she was prey.

“NOT WITHOUT A FIGHT!” Bambusmon yelled angrily. In his mouth, energy generated in her hand. “GREAT CANNON!!” She braced herself as the energy shot forward into the back of SkullSkadimon’s mouth. He gagged, the force of the attack opened his mouth and Bambusmon was thrown aside.

SkullSkadimon was downed for a moment as he recovered from the internal attack. Valramon dove to almost street level.

His eyes opened and he stared at the form of Vespasmon which was starting to move, his feet twitching and he was turning onto his belly. Piper was on the ground behind him, out cold from the impact with the building. Vespasmon nudged her with his nose. She didn’t respond, and Vespasmon snarled. He turned and faced SkullSkadimon fiercely with his back arched.

SkullSkadimon raised his head and snarled.

“PAIN GEYSER!!”

“CRYOSTASIS!!” SkullSkadimon yelled. The water stream was about to hit him. It met his frozen breath and began to freeze. The cold spread along and down the water, freezing Vespasmon’s tail in place and then beginning to engulf and form all around Vespasmon’s body. He was frozen in place, in a block of ice.

“NO!!” Eva yelled. “TOM LET ME OFF!!”

“Are you crazy?!” Tom yelled back.

“No! Let me off!!” Eva replied beginning to flail. Valramon lost her balance and made a crash landing. Eva rolled off the raven Digimon, got to her feet and started running at the bone Digimon. He was nudging the ice block of Vespasmon with his nose and snarling, his jaws were opening.

“Please. Please. Please...” Eva panted as she ran. She willed herself to be faster and pushed her feet more into the ground and she raced over the distance from where she had landed. She could hear Tom following after her. Her muscles were hurting and the places she had been injured already were screaming for aid.

SkullSkadimon’s jaws were open and he was moving towards the frozen Vespasmon with them wide.
Eva screamed, catching his attention suddenly. She stood in front of Vespasmon with her arms out open. SkullSkadimon snarled.

“NO!!” Eva yelled.

SkullSkadimon snarled at her and sniffed her body deeply. Eva grimaced.

SkullSkadimon smelled her again. His jaws opened and he screeched at her. Eva flinched and closed her eyes against the noise but did not move. She was shaking down to her feet; Tom could see it from where he was standing feet away. Valramon was close, as was Bambusmon. Reyez was a few feet away from Tom too. The Digimon were poised to attack.

“Come on. Irbimon, you’re in there. You know me.” Eva was speaking trying to keep her tone as calm as possible to hide her fear. SkullSkadimon growled and pawed the ground in frustration. Eva could see his eyes, like he was trying to reason with himself. To understand something. To regain his composure. He looked confused and lost as he struggled and dug his claws into the ground.

His jaws opened on a snarl and a growl.

“Come to your senses...” Eva begged. She dropped to her knees as they gave out beneath her. “Please. Please. Enough fighting.” Tears were falling down her face, staining her cheeks and dropping from her chin to the ground.

SkullSkadimon growled in confusion and his head tilted to one side. He stared at Eva with one eye and she stared back, suppressing sobs and whimpers of fear. Eva’s eyebrows furrowed. “Please... recognize me.” She stifled a tremble and her arms dropped to her side as SkullSkadimon raised his head and now stared down at her from his full height, teeth bared and snarling. Eva’s resolve left her and head dropped forward her hands on the street, tears hitting the ground as she sobbed. “I’m sorry. So sorry...”

A final growl from SkullSkadimon. Eva’s D-Touch began to glow in her pocket and SkullSkadimon was engulfed in the same light. He roared and started to shrink, descending down to the size of Irbimon. Irbimon stood on his feet for a moment. His fur was matted and bloodied and he could barely stand. It was a moment where he and Eva stared at one another and then he collapsed into a pile.

-----------------------------

Rose’s magenta hair tossed in the wind, blonde highlights catching the sun. She stood in the middle of the street, surveying the destruction around her. Taking off her designer shades, she observed even more, walking forward. The cold wind forced her to snuggle in her fur coat even more.

“This means that there is no more horseplay. We need to eliminate them at all cost in whatever manner, they are constantly getting stronger, not to mention out numbering us.”

“Are you saying that we can’t win?”

Rose shook her head, placing her shades back over her eyes. “Not at all. We just need to up our tactics. I‘m thinking divide and conquer.” She smiled.

In a flash of lightning, a figure began to rise from the ground, towering over both Rose and Hatimon. Rose turned around casually, looking upward. She pursed her lips, “Taranimon, change of plans. I‘m thinking we should go forth and use all our power to subdue them.”

“Hmmm….” The lightning tyrant bent down, coming closer to Rose. “And what makes you think, that would be an easy task?” He inquired.

“If you cannot stop them, the other Generals will be sure to succeed where you fail. Don’t forget your place…” Hatimon stepped in front of Rose.

Taranimon laughed lightly, almost tauntingly. “You have failed as well; please don’t bark your orders at me. Remember that I only truly follow the Master. You are nothing more than servants to his will.”

Hatimon growled, stepping forward once again.

“Hatimon!” Rose called, “Drop it.”

Hatimon stepped back, as Taranimon stood tall.

“I will do as I can, but you remember your place as well.” In another flash of lightning he was gone, only leaving behind a small fume of smoke from where he once stood.

Hatimon growled to herself, looking at Rose who simply had a smile painted on her face. She twirled her hair around her finger.

“Remember Hatimon, in order to successfully divide and conquer you need to have bait for them to run to, and sometimes that bait can be your ally.” She looked down at her Digimon.

The two walked back towards the black SUV, the chauffeur opening the back door.